Finnish metallers NIGHTWISH have announced the first European tour dates in support of their upcoming Imaginaerum project.

Confirmed Nightwish live dates include:

January

21 - Gibson Amphitheater - Universal City, CA
23 - 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise -The Caribbean

April

10 - Lisebergshallen - Göteborg, Sweden
11 - Falconer Theater - Copenhagen, Denmark
13 - Heineken Music Hall - Amsterdam, Netherlands
14 - ISS Dome - Düsseldorf, Germany
16 - Forest National - Brussels, Belgium
17 - Bercy - Paris, France
18 - Zenith - Nantes, France
20 - Halle Tony Garnier - Lyon, France
21 - Rockhal - Luxembourg, Luxembourg
23 - Jahrhunderthalle - Frankfurt, Germany
24 - Hallenstadion - Zurich, Switzerland
25 - Forum - Milano, Italy
27 - Gasometer - Vienna, Austria
29 - Budapest Arena - Budapest, Hungary
30 - Tesla (T-Mobile Arena) - Prague, Czech Republic

May

1 - Arena - Leipzig, Germany
3 - 02 World - Hamburg, Germany
5 - Arena - Nuremberg, Germany
6 - Schleyerhalle - Stuttgart, Germany
8 - Krizanke - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nightwish recently announced that their anxiously-awaited new album, Imaginaerum, will be released on November 30th in Finland, December 2nd in Europe, and January 10th, 2012 in North America. It will be issued via Roadrunner in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.

More new photos from the Imaginaerum movie shoot in Montreal, Quebec can be found within singer Anette Olzon's latest blog update at this location.

Says Anette: "Some more photos from Canada - this time from when we drove around in Montreal and shot new promo photos."

Stobe Harju, the director of the forthcoming Imaginaerum movie, has issued an update on how the first two weeks of shooting the film went.

"Dear friends of Nightwish and Imaginaerum.

Two weeks have passed since the first day of shooting. It has been a triumph so far. Even as the band sat down to look at some raw pre edited scenes, their faces couldn't lie. They were very happy with what they saw.

Many of you must be dying for information and images from the set. We can't pour all that out since we really believe that some of the reveals would spoil the show. However, if you've read the previous update you know some of the character names already, which of at least Tom and Ann sound familiar to a many. And they should sound familiar.

As I started to write Imaginaerum screenplay, I planted one single parameter above everything else: This is a Nightwish film, no matter how fictional story about the band it would be. I didn't just wanted to use the band's name but also, to come up with character names resembling Nightwish members' names. The band in Imaginaerum became Ann, Tom, Marcus, Emil and Jack. I know, not very clever when it comes to molding names. Yet, I wanted the audience to feel the presence of Nightwish and to me the convergence had to be clear. I had endless battles trying to convince people that using names similar to Anette, Tuomas, Marco, Emppu and Jukka was a perfect bridge between Nightwish in reality and Nightwish in a fantasy world. The band didn't agree with me originally. It became my decision and my responsibility I am proud of. That said, if someone ever thinks this might be an ego thing for the band, think again. It's my decision completely, and that's how I intend to keep it.

These first two weeks have been a blast. So many great people have bled together with us pouring their fantastic creativity into the project. We have a fantastic art director and her team. Our director of photography couldn't be more dedicated to his line of work or his visuality. Our make-up and wardrobe departments have made magic in a short period of time. And the cast... wow! The whole crew is filled with professionals I could've only dreamt of when starting the project. And, our producers are the kind who really understand the drama, art and the story while keeping our budget safe and sound. I must be the luckiest director in the world. What more can I say.

What strikes me the most, is the fact that this project is not only titled as "the trip to one's imagination", but it is exactly that on every aspect of the game with all the beloved people involved.

Yours truly.

Stobe Harju, The Director - Imaginaerum

PS: "Wandering after far off music through a desert of ashes. If the tune had a color, it would be a mixture of pink and red. Constantly afraid of it fading away, terrified of the silence that may come."

Nightwish previously issued the following brief update: "Correction to the forthcoming Imaginaerum album details: in Imaginaerum 2CD (digipak) version, the second CD includes the instrumental version, NOT an orchestral version of the album."

A new track-by-track breakdown of the album by mainman Tuomas Holopainen can be found here.

Nightwish recently revealed the artwork and tracklisting for the album. About the cover Holopainen remarked:

"Originally, this was supposed to be the centerfold image of the album but once I and some mates saw the final image, we immediately knew that the hunt for the actual cover artwork was over. I believe this is Toxic Angel's finest piece of work yet, capturing the deepest essence of what Imaginaerum is all about. The power of imagination and places of wordless wonders, magic and awe, of longing and the surreal. I emphasized from the start that not a single living thing should be seen in the picture, and Toxic was able to create that sublime but desolate, "all this waiting for you, and you only" - feeling. All you need is the courage to enter."

Imaginaerum tracklist:

'Taikatalvi'

'Storytime'

'Ghost River'

'Slow, Love, Slow'

'I Want My Tears Back'

'Scaretale'

'Arabesque'

'Turn Loose The Mermaids'

'Rest Calm'

'The Crow, The Owl And The Dove'

'Last Ride Of The Day'

'Song Of Myself'

'Imaginaerum'

Holopainen comments about each track below:

'Taikatalvi'

"This world is but a canvas for our imagination."

'Storytime'

"How would it feel to take a midnight flight with a snowman through the most wondrous landscapes, like in the classic animated Yuletide film? The meaning of our very existence is created though stories, tales and imagination. They are at the very core of humanity."

'Ghost River'

"LIFE is the ultimate privilege; a river filled with wonders and horrors. Love, sorrow, beauty, evil and temptation. And we need them all to survive and enjoy the journey. Good, Evil, Pain and Pleasure - members one of another."

'Slow, Love, Slow'

"Truest love needs no words, demands or promises. It is wordless territory, and thoroughly unconditional."

'I Want My Tears Back'

"Longing for things long gone, but still possible to bring back."

'Scaretale'

"Monsters in the closet, squealing pigs, hordes of spiders and flesh-ripping harpies. A peak into childhood´s unforgettable nightmares- a vivid and twisted circus sideshow."

'Arabesque'

"A catharsis to a nightmare. Giving birth through a death-dance."

'Turn Loose The Mermaids'

"We quietly witness as her dying loved one takes his last journey...forever now, a haunting moment of beauty and comfort."

'Rest Calm'

"Memories and hope are two things no-one can ever take away from you. The sweetness of my own past is a bottomless chest of comfort and inspiration."

'The Crow, The Owl And The Dove'

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me Truth" - Henry David Thoreau

"Love is everything, and only Truth is our guide to a deeper state."

'Last Ride Of The Day'

"The theme park is just about to close, but the rollercoaster runs one more time and you get to take the last ride by yourself. It`s dark and the fireworks have just started. Moments such as these are portals to infinite dreams, of deep realisation, and ultimately the thrilling awareness of being a speck of dust in this vast swirling cosmos."

'Song Of Myself'

"Our homage and version of Walt Whitman`s transcendental celebration of life and existence, delving deep into a personal catharsis."

'Imaginaerum'

"Thank you for sharing the ride and we hope to welcome you back soon. The stage is lit, and the Magnificent Play is beginning…"

Nightwish will release their new single, 'Storytime', on Friday, November 11th. The single is available as a pre-sale as CD (digipak) and 10'' MLP (gatefold) versions.